TDoR

Lover of all things linear, I will catch up a few things in chronological order.

David and I toured Mountstewart yesterday. Here's a photo from last summer:

The house has recently undergone a 7.5 million pound renovation and David hadn't been since the rooms were reopened. It's great going on a slow day because the volunteers greeting visitors in each room are a bit lonely and they will chat for as long as you like about some of the 15,000 objets in the house. I think we are now on the 8th or 9th Lord Londonderry, who lives in London, while his sister lives in a wing of the sprawling house. The various Lord Londonderrys have been leaders in British politics--ambassadors, ministers of defense, signers of the Treaty of Vienna, and so on. The house includes the spoils of war (French armour from the Napoleonic wars, for example), gifts from supplicants, rooms full of silver used on state occasions, trophies from horse races, endless emblems of power and wealth.

Saturday night we SHOULD have gone to a play written by a friend at church which imagined conversations between local boy C.S. Lewis and his contemporary and friend, J.R.R. Tolkien. I heard this morning that the play was fantastic. Instead, we had neighbours from either side over for pear crumble, custard, and wine. We had a very nice visit, so I can't complain.

This morning I sang at church (and heard rave reviews of the play) then went to a Narnia-themed craft fair, then back to church for TDoR, which I learned this year is the Transgender Day of Remembrance. I only recently learned of the many violent deaths suffered by transgendered people around the world (as well as very high rates of suicide). Today we mourned the lives lost and committed to creating a safer and more tolerant world. Our church has held this service for the past four years and a denominational leader attended today to award our church a trophy for its work to include marginalised people. Our minister, always quick on his feet, said he prays for the day when you don't get an award for welcoming refugees, members of the GLBT community, and people of different faiths into your church.
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